Machine or apparatus for cleaning bottles.



v T. HILL. MAGHINE ORAPPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOTTLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3, 1910.

Patented May 16, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

n45 mmms Psrucs cov. wnsumumn. m c.

FIG. 2.

T. HILL. MAOHINE'OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOTTLES.

APPLIUATION FILED DEC. 3, 1910.

3 SHEETSSHEET .2.

THE uomns PETERS ca, WASHINGTOQI, b. c.

Patented May 16, 1911.

T. HILL.

MACHINE 0R APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOTTLES.

APPLICATION FILED 1030.3, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

FIG.3.

Patented may 16, 1911.

THOMAS HILL, or" KINGSTON-UPON-I-IULL, ENGLAND.

MACHINE OR APPARATUS FOR CLEANING BOTTLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 3, 1910. Serial No. 595,347.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS HILL, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 247 Beverley road, Kingston-upon-Hull, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines or Apparatus for Cleaning Bottles and the Like; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to bottle and the like cleaning machines or apparatus of that class in which the bottles or the like are subjected to the action of two brushes or the like acting simultaneously the one on the inside and the other on the outside of the bottle, and my said invention has for its chief object to provide a movable outside cleaning brush and so allow of the inside cleaning brush being rigidly mounted, and a further object is to so construct such outside cleaning brush that it will simultaneously clean both the bottle body and the bottom thereof, and to provide means for supporting the free end of such brush or its spindle.

In order that my invent-ion may be readily understood, I will proceed to describe. the same with reference to the accompanying three sheets of explanatory drawings on which the same reference numerals indicate like parts in the different views on which they appear, Figure 1 being a side elevation partly in section of what may be called a double bottle washing machine constructed in accordance with my invention, Fig. 2 a plan view of same, Fig. 3 an end view, Fig. 4: is a longitudinal view of the shaft for driving the brushes for cleaning the outside of bottles and shows the brush spindles connected thereto, and Fig. 5 a view partly in section of one of the brushes for cleaning the outside of bottles, detached.

My invention consists in combining with a suitable water tank a plurality of brushes for cleaning the insides and outsides of bottles, jars and the like, and so arranged and operated as to rotate in close proximity to each other and in the same or opposite directions, and means for driving such brushes. y

' A convenient way of carrying my invention into effect consists in mounting in or on the water tank 1 a suitable casting or frame 2 provided with bearings 3, 4:, 5 for a main or driving shaft 6 and for shafts for driving a suitable number of rotary brushes 7, 8 arranged in pairs, the two brushes forming eachpair being driven in the same or in opposite directions, as desired, four shafts 9, 10, 11, 12 being a suitable number, each driving two brushes, one mounted'or connected at each end, but a smaller or greater number of shafts may be employed, if desired.

Assuming for example that four brush Patented May 16, 1911.

driving shafts are employed as illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show a double machine byway of example only, two of such shafts 9, 10 are caused to drive four brushes 7 for cleaning the inside of bottles 13 and the two other shafts 11,12 to drive four brushes 8 for cleaning the outside of the same bottles, and such shafts are arranged in pairs, one shaft of each pair being by preference at a higher level than the other shaft of that pair, the lower shaft being directly underneath or a little to one side of the upper shaft, each pair of brushes, that Y is, one for cleaning the inside and the other the outside of the same bottle, being similarly situated and so close together that when in operation they would run in contact if it were not for the glass or the like wall of the bottle or the like between them.

The spindles 1 10f the brushes which clean the outside of the bottles are connected to their respective shafts each by a knuckle, link or other suitable, movable joint or connection to enable them to be moved out of their horizontal position to allow of the bottles being placed on and taken ofi the brushes 7 which clean the inside of the bottles, a convenient arrangement shown by way of example more particularly at Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings consistingin providing the inner ends of the brush splndles 14 with a hook 15, and the shaft which drives such brushes with an eye 16 which allows of the brushes being readily connect-v ed to and dis-connected from the shaft, and the said outside cleaning brushes are of such a shape that as they rotate they conform longitudinally to the shape or line of the bottle, a flange or plate 17 at the outer end being provided with bristles or the equivalent which project in such a manner as to clean the bottoms of the bottles, said flange also preventing the bottle from working off the brush which cleans the inside of the bottle.

The inner end of the brush body is recessed according to one mode, and in the recess is inserted a metal cup-like piece, or a disk or the like 18 which has a polygonal or other noncircular hole or recess 19 in it to receive a similarly shaped part of a collar or the like secured on the brush spindle by a set-screw or other suitable means, or an enlargement 20 formed on the spindle, see Fig. 5 of the drawings, the brush itself being secured to the spindle 14 by a set-screw 21 or the like.

The brush spindles 14 are supported in their up or normal positions by any suitable means, a convenient arrangement which I.

have illustrated at Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings, consisting of a lever 22 which is pivoted to a bridge or crosspiece or the like 23 carried by the sides of the tank 1, said lever being capable of being rocked on its pivot 24 and receiving the outer ends of the brush spindles 14.

The lever 22 may be provided with strips or pieces of lignum-vitze or other suitable material 22* to form bearings for the ends of the brush spindles 14.

The bridge or cross-piece or the like 23 is provided with guide slots 25 in which the outer ends of the spindles 14 work as one or other end of the lever 22 is depressed or raised, the brushes falling by gravity when their end of the lever is depressed.

The lever 22 may be operated by hand or by a foot lever or other suitable means, the accompanying drawings showing such lever provided with hand plates 26 on which the hands of the operator can be placed for depressing either end.

A spring, spring washer or the equivalent 27 may be placed on the pivot 24 for retaining the lever 22 in the position to which it is moved.

For the purpose of assisting in support- 1119 the bottles on the inside cleaning brushes and preventing undue movement of the same thereon, I may employ a cross-bar or the like 28 carried by the sides of the tank 1, which cross-bar or the like has uprights to which are fitted adjustable or other holders 29 to hold a block of indiarubber, wood or other suitable material 30 which bears on the bottle when the bottle is on the inside cleaning brush.

Any suitable mechanism may be employed for driving the brushes of the machine or apparatus, a convenient arrangement consist-ing in mounting on the main driving shaft 6 a fast and loose pulley 39,40 and a sprocket or other suitable wheel 41, and on each of the shafts 9, 10 for cleaning the insides of the bottles a corresponding but smaller fast and loose pulley 42, 43, and on each of the shafts 11, 12 which drive the brushes for cleaning the outside of the bottles, a sprocket or other suitable wheel 44, 45 of preferably larger diameter than the sprocket or the like wheel 41 on the main shaft 6, a belt or strap 46 being run from a line of shafting or other source of drive so as to be in contact with the fast pulley 39 on the main shaft 6 and the fast pulleys 42 on the inside cleaning brush shafts 9, 10, a chain or the equivalent 47 being run over the sprocket or the like wheels 44,45 on the shafts 11, 12 which drive the brushes which clean the outside of the bottles, and under the sprocket or the like wheel 41 on the main driving shaft 6. By this means the belt or strap 46 drives the main shaft 6 and the shafts 9, 10 which drive the brushes 7 for cleaning the inside of the bottles, and the main shaft 6 drives through its sprocket or the like wheel 41 and the chain or the like 47 the shafts which drive the brushes 8 for cleaning the outsides of the bottles.

lVhen using the machine or apparatus, the spindles of those brushes which clean the outside of the bottles or the like are released in turn and allowed to fall in the guide slots in the bridge or cross-piece 23 (assuming those to be the jointed spindles) and the bottles are then placed on the brushes 7 for cleaning the inside of the bottles, after which the spindles of the brushes 8 for cleaning the outside of the bottles are moved back to their normal position in which they are held by the supporting lever or the like 22, with the result that the brushes thereon bear or press on the underside of the bottles and press them upward so that the brush inside the particular bottle exerts pressure on the inside of the underside of the bottle, each pair of brushes thus exerting pressure on its bottle, the one inside and the other outside, with the result that as a bottle rotates on or around the inside cleaning brush consequent on the outside cleaning brush rotating and by its pressure and greater bearing surface acting on the bottle, both the inside and outside of the bottle are rubbed or brushed thoroughly, the out side cleaning brush by rotating in water supplying the water required for swilling the outside of the bottle.

I may combine with my improved machine or apparatus a soaking tank for the bottles to be soaked in before being brushed, and a rinser for rinsing the bottles after being brushed, or one or other of the same.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. The combination, with stationary bearings, and an upper and a lower driving shaft journaled in the said bearings; of a lower brush adapted to clean the outside of a vessel and provided with a shaft, a flexible coupling connecting the lower driving shaft with the lower brush shaft, an adjustable support for the free end of the lower brush shaft, and an upper brush adapted to clean the inside of the vessel, said upper brush being arranged above the lower brush and operatively connected with the said upper driving shaft.

2. The combination, with stationary bearings, and an upper and a lower driving shaft journaled in the said bearings; of a lower brush adapted to clean the outside of a vessel and provided with a shaft, a flexible coupling connecting the lower driving shaft with the lower brush shaft, a stationary plate provided with a guide slot for the free end portion of the lower brush shaft, a lever pivoted to the said plate and adapted to adjust the position of the lower brush shaft in the guide slot, and an upper brush adapted to clean the inside of the vessel, said upper brush being arranged above the lower brush and operatively connected with the said upper driving shaft.

3. The combination, with stationary bearings, and two upper and two lower driving shafts arranged side by side in the said bearings; of two lower brushes adapted to clean the outsides of vessels and provided with shafts, flexible couplings connecting the lower driving shafts with the lower brush shafts, an adjusting lever pivoted between the lower brush shafts and adapted to raise them alternately, and upper brushes adapted to clean the insides of the vessels, said upper brushes being arranged above the lower brushes and operatively con nected with the said upper driving shafts.

4. The combination, with a water tank, of a lower shaft, a cleaning device for the outside of a vessel carried by the lower shaft and arranged in the said tank, an upper shaft arranged above the lower shaft, a cleaning device for the inside of the vessel carried by the upper shaft, a laterally adjustable guide supported from the said tank and arranged to bear against one side of the vessel, and driving devices for revolving the said shafts.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

, THOMAS HILL. Witnesses:

LoUIs EDGAR. KIPPAX, FRED. HAROLD RHODES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

